FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT CITY CLERK - PAGE 5

A judge on Tuesday refused to throw out the nominating petition of incumbent Mayor Bobby Thompson, who is in a four-way primary race on Feb. 23. In ruling that Thompson can remain on the ballot, Lake County Circuit Judge Jack Hoogasian rejected a challenge by North Chicago Ald. Bette Thomas. Thomas appealed to the court an electoral board ruling last month denying her objections to the petitions of Thompson and Tim Miller, the incumbent city clerk. She contended that the city clerk's office had withheld the petitions from her examination.

A Du Page County judge Wednesday ordered the West Chicago city clerk to certify a referendum proposal to the Du Page County Board of Election Commissioners. The order by Judge Bruce Scidmore clears the way for West Chicago residents to vote March 18 on a proposal calling for the formation of a library district. The proposal would remove control of the public library from the city and give it to the district, which would have taxing authority. Patricia Rau, city clerk, had refused to certify the proposal because of a new state law that says referendums can be held only when local elections also are scheduled.

Lockport's next mayor will get a raise, the city clerk and treasurer will not, and aldermen will take a little longer to think about whether they should be paid more. Under state law, Lockport officials face a Monday deadline to vote in pay changes that would take effect for those elected starting in April. After a motion to table the mayor's raise was defeated, Mayor Richard Dystrup broke a 4-4 tie and voted Tuesday to increase the mayor's yearly pay to $12,000 from $8,000.

The deadline for Chicago residents who own a vehicle to buy 2007-08 auto stickers is Sunday. After that, vehicle owners could face a $120 ticket. Drivers who buy stickers after the deadline will pay a $40 late fee. Stickers cost $75 for passenger vehicles, $90 for large passenger vehicles, $45 for motorcycles and $150 for Class A trucks. Senior citizens 65 or older can buy a vehicle passenger sticker for $30 Stickers can be purchased at: - The city clerk's office, City Hall, Room 107, 121 N. LaSalle St. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday)

Three followers of political extremist Lyndon LaRouche, including a candidate for city clerk of Chicago, have been arrested while handing out campaign literature in Summit. According to Summit Police Cmdr. Hedlund Edward, city clerk candidate Ernest Washington, 36, and two campaign workers for Sheila Jones, LaRouche candidate for mayor, were trying to pass out campaign literature Tuesday by "walking in front of cars, stopping traffic and asking for money" at Harlem and Archer Avenues.

Time is running out to get a 2008-09 city vehicle sticker. City stickers expire June 30, but residents have until July 15 to purchase them. Stickers are sold online, at City Clerk facilities, Department of Revenue substations and some Jewel-Osco, Dominick's and Currency Exchange locations. Enforcement begins July 16. To purchase online or find locations, visit chicityclerk.com/licenses/citystickers.html. The following number of citations were issued for failure to display a city sticker, according to Cristina Franzoni of the City Clerk's office.

As expected, Mayor David Pierce has announced his candidacy for a third term. Pierce, who called himself "tried and true" and "steady yet progressive," said this week that he will run on his record and that after his eight years at the helm, "Aurora remains a city that works." The announcement officially makes Pierce the man to beat in a five-person race that includes a social service agency director, a perennial political candidate, a fired city clerk and the alderman of the south side 3rd Ward.

Ald. Bette Thomas was accused of trespassing and was arrested at City Hall on Friday afternoon after she entered a restricted area in the city clerk's office, police said. Thomas came into the office at 3:30 p.m. and went behind a counter where only the city clerk and his staff are authorized to go, so Clerk Tim Miller signed a complaint and asked police to arrest her, said Sgt. Glen Ford. Miller said Thomas was demanding to see water billing records. Thomas, however, reportedly told police she was there to inspect an office computer and see if a temporary employee was doing her assigned work, Ford said.

Faced with 20 angry residents, an Elmhurst City Council committee has decided to investigate enforcement problems that could result from a proposed cat licensing law as well as humane society regulations concerning cats. The furor was created when Ald. Guy Spinelli (2d) wrote a letter to the City Council in September urging the city to consider a cat licensing law that would require residents owning cats as pets to pay a $2 licensing fee to the city clerk and to provide for vaccinations, tags and collars.